Caring and feeding for an infant can be one (1) of the most rewarding things that we as humans do. It in itself is a simple act, but can form bonds between child and adult that will last a lifetime. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the messiest, especially during the bottle feeding period of a child life. Any formula or milk that leaks out is sure to run down the child's face. Bibs are often used in an attempt to catch and absorb this mess and keep the child, the caregiver, and the surroundings clean. The problem exists that it is more likely that the mess will run down the infant's neck, get their clothing wet and stained, and even get the clothing of the person feeding them dirty as well. Even if the bib does its job effectively, it takes time to put on, annoys the infant, irritates their skin, and becomes wet as well.
Various attempts have been made in the past to overcome these disadvantages and provide a baby nursing bottle having a means of exterior protection without the aforementioned problems. Among the relevant attempts to address these problems are several U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,759; 6,585,711; 6,732,375; and 7,032,248.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,282, issued in the name of Cooper, describes a baby bottle and bib structure which takes the form a doll comprising nursing bottle structure, a removable cover is snapped about the nipple portion forming the head of the doll, and an attached bib structure. The bib portion provides a support means to the baby bottle about the neck of the infant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,940, issued in the name of Cameron, describes a combined bib and bottle holder comprising a front and rear panel which is sewn together and encloses a soft material, an elastic loop which is attached to the front panel which provides a means of supporting a baby bottle, and a neck hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,272, issued in the name of Collins, describes a baby bottle bib that slides onto a bottle comprising a bottle-sized hole located toward one (1) side of the bib body and an elastic collar which provides a means of protecting against spills or spit-up while drinking.
Additionally, ornamental designs for nursing bottle bibs and aprons exist, particularly, U.S. Pat. No. D 391,483. However, none of these designs are similar to the present invention.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives, each of these references suffers from one or more of the aforementioned disadvantages. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which infants who are feeding from a bottle can be protected from spills and leaks without the inefficiencies and discomfort of a bib. The development of the present invention fulfills this need.